Evil in Disguise
by BecomingFearless1F
Summary: Alessandra Therse was cursed. She knew that and she also knew that no one would ever accept her; definitely not at Hogwarts, where she had recently transferred to. How could anyone when she had the Death Mark tattooed on her arm since birth and a grandfather who was considered the most evil wizard of all time?
1. Chapter 1

The train whistled at station 9 and ¾ths, and I shivered hesitantly as my parents wrapped me up in one final hug.

"Please be safe," my mother whispered, gently running her small fingers through my thick and light hair. She kissed my cheek gently. "We know how hard you worked to get here, and we aren't going to let that go to waste." She smiled, and her pearly white teeth shone back at me. My father pulled me from my mother and wrapped me up in a giant hug before kissing my forehead gently. I smiled and grabbed my luggage and my snake's cage. Apollo, my cobra, slithered up the side of the cage.

 _When do we leave?_ he hissed gently. _My tail's in a place that no tail should be._

"I really hate to break this up," I whispered, taking a step back. "But the train's going to be leaving soon." As if helping me, the train's "all-aboard" whistle blew and I stepped onto the train, pulling my luggage and Apollo's cage behind me.

"Bye sweetheart!" my mom yelled to me, and I smiled back, waving to her as the train pulled away from the station.

 _What sentimental people,_ Apollo hissed, blinking his eyes towards my parents.

 _ **Oh, be quiet you,**_ I retorted gently, picking up everything and rushing to find an open compartment. I found an empty one near the back and raced inside, shoving my luggage down. Then, closing the compartment door, I brought out my wand, a long, willowy branch with a phoenix feather, created white, and pointed at Apollo's cage. I whispered a few words and the door popped open, allowing Apollo to slither out and onto the bench.

 _That feels sooooo much better,_ he hissed with happiness, opening his hood just a little.

 _ **Just don't scare anybody...please**_ , I begged, taking a seat beside him. I stared at the outside of the train and shivered. I was so nervous. From what I could remember, I was the first student to be attending Hogwarts at Grade 4. I was greatly concerned with who my teachers would be, and if they would like me. Apollo slithered onto my lap and gently wrapped himself around my arm, which always made me feel better. I sighed with happiness and someone coughed. I glanced over and quite literally jumped out of my seat. There was a guy standing in the middle of the doorway.

An _attractive_ guy.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," he said, sweeping his black hair away from his face. I shook my head and stared out of the window again. "Pretty comfortable?" I glanced back to him and raised an eyebrow. He searched me with his crystal blue eyes. "Takes some getting used to, that's for sure." He held out his hand to me. "Riven Walmium." I took his hand and shook it gingerly. _Why did he tell me his last name?_ I pondered.

"Alessandra Therse," I replied, trying to keep my voice from cracking.

Wow...great start, Alessandra. I regained my composure and asked, "I take it you've been here before?" _Of course he has you idiot!_ I scolded myself. _He's obviously not a first year_.

"Yep, I'm just starting my fifth year," he said, nodding to me. "I take it you're a first year?" Apollo chuckled on my arm, but it sounded like hissing.

"Actually, no," I replied, smiling warmly. "Fourth year. I did 3 years of school elsewhere, and Dumbledore allowed me to transfer here."

"Dumbledore is cool that way," Riven laughed with a smile, taking a seat across from me. "Now, don't peg this for a stupid question, but...do you realize there is a black snake wrapped around your arm?" I feigned surprise as I glanced at Apollo, and Riven raised an eyebrow at me.

"This is Apollo, my black-necked spitting cobra," I said, gesturing from him to Riven. "Apollo, meet Riven."

 _Hello idiot human boy,_ Apollo hissed, flicking his tongue at Riven.

 _ **Remember...**_ I growled back, and I swore, if Apollo could've rolled his eyes, he would have done so now.

"You're a Parseltongue," commented Riven, his eyes widening a little bit. I glanced at him with a surprised look on my face. "Do you not know what that means?"

"No, not really," I replied. "I've just been able to talk to Apollo my whole life."

Riven seemed amused and he responded, "Parseltongues are people who can communicate with snakes."

"I don't know if I can do it with all snakes, but I can do it with Apollo," I replied. There was a thumping in the compartment over and Riven and I both raised an eyebrow.

"Probably best if we don't interfere," he said, and I nodded. We spent the rest of the ride just talking with each other. Finally, we came to a halt, and I went to grab my bags, but Riven grabbed my wrist.

"They get teleported to your room," he told me, smiling.

 _Can I come?_ hissed Apollo, resting his head on top of mine. _I do NOT teleport well._

 _ **Of course,**_ I replied, and Riven seemed surprised again.

"You sound like you're hissing whenever you talk to him."

I shrugged and we got up, walking away from our bags and out onto the platform. I gaped. We were surrounded by a little forest, and there was a long path towards a distant castle.

"First years over 'ere!" yelled a gruff voice, and I glanced over. It was a large man, both tall and fat, with a kind smile. "'eya Riven! 'Ow's life treating ya?"

"Pretty well, Hagrid," he yelled back, and the man laughed. Quietly, to me, he added, "That's Hagrid, Magical Creatures Care professor and gamekeeper of Hogwarts. He may look intimidating, and he can be, but he's really nice at heart." I smiled and nodded, following Riven towards carriages. "Here's how everyone else gets to Hogwarts." He opened the carriage and swept his arm around. "Your carriage awaits, milady."

"Thank you, kind sir," I answered with a giggle, and stepped up, having Riven pile in after me. We had two more 3rd years enter and one of them asked, "Who are you?" to me.

"Alessandra Therse, 4th year," I replied. "You two?"

"Kaity and Liena Pepperjack," they replied, bowing both. "We're in Ravenclaw with Riven! What about you?" I suddenly got a tingling feeling in my stomach and stared silently at the ground while playing with my feet. I didn't exactly know. All I knew was Dumbledore invited me to Hogwarts after he became aware of my...status, and he was willing to help me get better. There was a gentle knock on the side of our carriage, and I glanced up. It was Dumbledore!

"Ms. Therse?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. I smiled and replied, "Professor Dumbledore."

"Ah yes, I got the right carriage," he smiled. "If you wouldn't mind accompanying me to the teacher's carriage, where we can work out your schedule." I smiled and nodded. "Apollo, unfortunately, will not be able to accompany us." My chest tightened. Why wouldn't he be…?

"I'll take him," Riven proposed, and Apollo glanced at me sadly before slithering off my arm and neck and going on Riven, settling angrily with his head on Riven's shoulder. I stepped out of the carriage and followed Dumbledore to a much larger carriage where I was greeted by many older looking faces.

"Alessandra, may I introduce to you the teachers of Hogwarts, not all of them of course," he added when I marveled at them. "We have another carriage with all the ones that were not able to fit." He patted the seat beside him and I took a seat just as the carriage began. "Now, you are aware why I brought you away." I took a deep breath and nodded.

"You wanted to talk to me about my grandfather," I told him, and he nodded.

"We are aware that you are related to You-Know-Who," commented an older looking woman. "Is it ok if we have some magical precautions placed on you in case…" I nodded and took off my outer-jacket, revealing my Hogwarts uniform, and my bare arms. My right arm was burned with the Death Mark, and one of the men noticed.

"Why do you wear that mark?" he questioned lightly, pointing his wand at it.

"I've had that since I was a child," I replied. "Scared my neighbors." The man nodded and I saw his sleeve roll up a bit. I bit back a gasp. He had one too. The teachers whispered a few incantations, and I felt myself shiver. Afterwards, Dumbledore smiled.

"So, I believe you are a Parseltongue, correct?" he asked, and I nodded, smiling.

"It's the only way to talk with my snake, Apollo," I replied, and one of the teachers raised her eyebrow.

"I hope you know that snakes are not allowed in any of the dorms," she told me, and my heart felt like it stopped.

"I'm sorry then," I told them, gulping. "If Apollo isn't allowed at Hogwarts, then I'm afraid I won't be able to attend."

"A little drastic measures, don't you think?" commented the man with the Death Mark. I glared at him and rose to my feet.

"Apollo is my best friend," I hissed at him. To them all, I added, "Besides my parents, he's my only friend I have." I sat down again and apologized for my outburst. There was a slight coughing and I looked up. It came from the woman who said that no snakes were allowed in dorms.

"I'm willing to hold Apollo and Alessandra in my dorms," she announced, glancing at me. "As long as she promises to not let him loose on other students."

"Are you sure, Professor McGonagall?" asked the Death Mark man. "As all of you are aware, my house is for those with...serpent attributes."

"I am more than sure, Professor Snape," McGonagall replied, and I sighed with relief. The carriage ride the rest of the way was uneventful. Mostly just them discussing plans and putting more protective spells on me to make sure there was absolutely no way I could hurt students or teachers. When we reached Hogwarts, I stepped out and had Apollo slithering up my leg as soon as my feet hit pavement.

 _Alessandra!_ Apollo cheered, licking my ear with his forked tongue. _I was so worried! None of the students would let me go so I could catch up with you. Riven's nice though, but he felt awkward with the two girls and himself. He really missed you._

 _ **Do you read emotions?**_ I asked just as Riven ran to me, panting.

"So sorry!" he gasped, clutching to his knees as his shoulders heaved for breath. "He just...got out…"

"It's totally cool," I told him, helping him up. "Apollo just missed me." I smiled. "Come on. Let's hurry to the Dining Hall. I'm starving!" I grabbed his wrist and he winced.

"Your hand stings," he whispered to me, and I let go. On his wrist where I touched him was a red mark, and I gasped.

"This has never happened to me before," I told him, glancing at him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he said, waving me away. "It's not that bad. Come on." He motioned for me to follow him and I did.

 _Why did you hurt him?_ Apollo asked, slithering to my other shoulder.

 _ **I didn't want to!**_ I protested. _**It must be one of the spells the teachers put on me. This means that I can't touch any other students**_. I raced after Riven and followed the other crowds into the school. To be safe, I folded my hands together and kept them by me. As I raced forward, the crowds kept shoving me around. I tried hard not to fall down, but then, someone grabbed my hand.

It was Riven.

"Don't!" I protested, trying to yank my hand away. "You'll hurt yourself!"

"It's worth it," he told me. I blushed slightly and together we braced each other as the crowds jostled around. Ruben gritted his teeth and I shifted my hand slightly. Once we were in the Great Hall, Riven let go of my hand and I winced slightly. It had blisters all over. He sat at the Ravenclaw table and I stood nervously at the entrance.

"Ms. Therse," Professor McGonagall called out, gesturing over to the table where a bunch of kids in gold were sitting at. I walked over awkwardly, Apollo twisting his head around to view all the people.

 _I wasn't aware there were even this much people in the world,_ Apollo commented, cocking his head slightly. I took a seat a girl with fiery red hair and this extremely black haired girl, and watched the first years get assigned their group. As soon as the feast began, I got up and walked over to where Dumbledore was enjoying his feast.

"Headmaster," I began, shifting slightly. The headmaster stopped his conversation and looked at me with cool blue eyes.

"Yes, Ms. Therse?" he asked.

"There is something I need to discuss with you...in private," I added, glancing at all the people in the Great Hall. Dumbledore nodded, and for some odd reason motioned Snape with his finger. The two gentlemen stood up and proceeded out of the Great Hall, in which I followed. I glanced over at Riven and saw he was joking around and laughing with friends.

However, as soon as I passed, we connected eyes and he mouthed, "Hands?" I replied with a curt nod and stepped out, following the two professors towards an empty hallway.

"What seems to be the problem, Ms. Therse?" asked Professor Snape, raising an eyebrow skeptically at me,

"This," I said, and I grabbed his hand, since it was the only piece of skin exposed besides his face. Snape winced and jerked his hand back, a small red mark on his hand. "One of your spells went wrong. I can't touch anybody besides myself and Apollo." Quietly, I added, "You might want to send somebody to Riven Walmium of Ravenclaw. He injured his hand helping me get through the crowds."

"I shall fetch Madam Pomfrey right away," Dumbledore replied, nodding. "Snape, if you could be so kind as to take Ms. Therse to your office and give her the sufficient potion needed to rebuke the curse." Snape and I both tensed and the smallest smile crept up on Dumbledore's face. "Now, now...I expect both of you to play nice." We both nodded solemnly as Dumbledore walked away from us, whistling a happy tune. Snape turned around and gestured towards me with a finger to follow him. We walked in silence, even as he handed me the potion. I didn't question it. I just drank. The cool contents passed down my throat and I sighed contently. Snape grabbed my hand, and he didn't flinch or anything. He shooed me out and I raced back to the Great Hall where Riven was being attended by Madam Pomfrey. The feast seemed to be over and they were the only two left in the room.

"That should do it," the woman said, smiling warmly. Riven flexed his hand, which was wrapped in bandages. "Just keep that on for a couple of days and it should go away in no time." As she packed up to leave, I took a seat beside Riven.

"Hey Dra," he teased me, smiling warmly. "Did they fix you?" I nodded in relief. "You missed the feast. Really great food."

"I wasn't that hungry anyways," I lied, but then my stomach let out a growl that belonged to a cat. Riven laughed and Madam Pomfrey smiled as she exited the dining room. Riven leaned over to a folded up napkin on the table and pushed it over to me. I unwrapped it, and inside were three rolls, all a golden brown with butter spread across them,

"Let's just say I had a feeling that you were going to miss dinner," Riven explained with a large smile when I thanked him. He watched me while I ate the rolls and then got up, stretching. "Well, I think I better head back to Ravenclaw before Professor Flitwick wonders where I am." I nodded and wiped my hands on my robes.

"Professor McGonagall is probably freaking out about me right now," I sighed. I really liked hanging out with Riven. He didn't make me ponder about my...past. Apollo slithered off of my shoulder and onto Riven's, hissing something into his ear that I couldn't hear. Riven gave Apollo a look.

 _ **Apollo**_ , I hissed to him, holding at my hand. The snake pouted and slithered back onto me. _**Riven can't understand you. I don't think he's a Parseltongue**_.

 _Details_ , Apollo grumbled angrily. Whatever he had tried to said, he was upset that it hadn't gotten through, because he was silent all the way up to the Gryffindor common room.

As soon as I stepped in, I passed by the empty room and started my way up the stairs, only stopping when I heard, "Ms. Therse?" I froze and quietly turned to face Professor McGonagall, who stood in her night robes at the bottom of the stairs. "Might I ask why you weren't at the feast? Or at the common room when everyone went to bed?"

"When you were putting enchantments on me, something happened and I couldn't touch any teachers or students without burning them," I quietly and quickly explained. "I had Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore help fix it."

"Oh, my dear, I apologize that that happened," McGonagall said sadly. "Were any students hurt because of it?"

"Riven Walmiun of Ravenclaw," I explained. "He held my hand to keep me steady when we were walking through the crowds. And Professor Snape, to some extent, while I was demonstrating what was wrong." The professor nodded, and went silent. After a minute or two, she dismissed me to my room, which she also told me where it was. Once inside, I found an available four-poster bed and slipped Apollo into his cage and myself underneath my comforters, trying to mentally prepare myself for the next day.


	2. Chapter 2

Classes the next day were rough. My old schools were nothing compared to Hogwarts. My schedule was hectic. First period, after breakfast, was Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall, then Charms with Professor Flitwick, Magic History with Professor Brunns, Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Lupin and his wife, Tonks, then Potions with Snape, and finally, Magical Care of Creatures with Hagrid, the Gamekeeper of Hogwarts, with lunch sprinkled somewhere in between.

In DATDA, as soon as 90% of the people were gone, I rested my head on my desk, groaning slightly. Tonks approached my table and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Don't die on us just yet," she teased, picking up notes that had been left after the class. "Hard day?"

"Very," I replied. "Next is Potions with Professor Snape, and I'm pretty sure we have a strong disliking for each other."

"Well, there was only one person whom Severus liked at all," commented Lupin, emerging from his office. "And that was Lily Evans, more famously known as the mother to Harry Potter."

"Snape liked her?" I gasped, eyes wide. "Whoa...that would suck...a lot."

"He's never married anyone," Tonks admitted, taking a seat on my desk. "He feels no one could match her in anything."

"And here I thought he just enjoyed punishing innocent children," I said sarcastically. Tonks chuckled and Lupin suppressed a smile. "Well, I better be off. Thanks for all your help."

I gathered up my belongings and headed out of the room, making my way towards the dungeons when a loud voice proclaimed, "Ew! What is she wearing?" I flipped around to see three girls, all wearing stiletto heels. The middle one, who was pale and had fiery red hair, walked confidently over to me. "Honey, don't you know those robes as so last season?" I shrugged her off and flipped around, heading to my classroom. " _Expelliarmus_!" My books went flying across the hallway, and I tensed up, flipping around.

"What was that for?!" I yelled, stalking over to gather up my books. As I bent down, my sleeve rolled up. Suddenly, the main girl's hand wrapped itself around my wrist, yanking me into an awkward position. My sleeve rolled down even more, revealing the Death Mark.

"Were you a You-Know-Who sympathizer?" gasped the girl, mock surprise filling her voice.

"No," I yelled. "I wasn't even born when Voldemort walked this planet!"

"Darla, she said the name," gasped the blond girl who was at her side. "She has to be."

"Girls, should we show this _uneducated_ girlhow we feel about You-Know-Who sympathizer?" the middle girl, Darla, snarled, an evil looking passing over her eyes.

"As much as that would be entertaining for you three, Ms. Sugarcumb, I believe you are about to be late for Divination class," a snake like voice commented, stepping out of a doorway. I turned and was surprised to see Professor Snape standing in a nearby doorway.

"Professor, she has the Death Mark on her arm!" Darla protested, and Snape glanced at my arm, an annoyed look on his face.

"Would you believe it, I have a matching one too," Snape retorted, pulling up his sleeve. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, I need to escort Ms. Therse to my class." He waved his wand, collecting all my books in his arms, and flipped around, stalking down the hallway. Keeping my head low, I quickly followed, making sure no one could see my mark. As soon as we reached Snape's classroom, silence filled the air. He handed my books back to me, and I took a seat in the front desk.

 **:/:\:**

"No way," gasped Riven as he threw a stone across the lake. "Snape stood up for you?" I nodded and grabbed a smooth stone, handing it to Riven.

"I was as shocked as you were," I told him. "Snape doesn't seem like the warm, cuddly teacher who likes to hear about students' problems." Riven nodded his head.

"Professor Snape is definitely not a security blanket, I can tell you that," Riven grumbled, skipping the stone. "Especially when I learned about my par…" He froze, and turned away awkwardly. I cocked my head at him but he waved me off by chucking another stone into the lake. "What about Hagrid's class?"

"It was interesting," I answered, still confused about Riven's answer. _Is he holding something for me...maybe Apollo can help. He reads emotions…._

"I've probably got Quidditch practice," Riven admitted, setting down his stones. "I'll see you at dinner?" I sighed and shook my head.

"I've got to go see Professor Lupin. I'm going to need a tutor for all my classes," I whispered. I glanced up at Riven. "Are you okay?"

He glanced at me skeptically and asked, "Why wouldn't I be?"

I didn't answer him. I just grabbed my stuff and headed back to Griffyndor Tower.

 **:/:\:**

 _You want me to read Riven's emotions?_ Apollo gasped, his tongue flicking at my face. I rolled my eyes and set him down on my bed. He slithered around and pulled his head up to look at me. _I'm not even sure if I can. We just discovered this power._

 _ **This is useless!**_ I growled, falling forward onto my bed. _**What's the purpose of having powers and not using them?**_

"Hey Alessandra," Luci called out, entering our room. I shared the room with four others, the only four girls in Gryffindor who weren't scared of Apollo. She tied her red hair up in a ponytail. "You weren't at dinner. Are you feeling ok?"

"I'm feeling fine," I lied, gently placing my hand on top of Apollo.

 _You feel sick,_ gasped Apollo, slithering up my arm, squeezing. It only made me feel worse. _Alessandra! You must go to Madam Pomfrey immediately!_ I shook my head and suddenly felt lightheaded.

"Alessandra, are you sure you aren't feeling bad? You look extremely pale…" began Luci, except she looked blurry, like a weird figure with no nose….

I gasped before I blacked out.

 **:/:\:**

The lights were too bright when my eyes opened night and a strong hand gripped mine in a frantic way, while a scaly body pressed against my other wrist.

"Dra, can you hear me?" a pleading voice asked.

 _Riven..._

I coughed and slowly sat up, blinking my eyes until they didn't hurt anymore. Riven sat on my left, his hair a little lighter than normal. Apollo was curled up, with little tiny diamonds dropping from his eyes.

 _Hold one second...those are tears!_

"Apollo, don't cry," I croaked, and my snake curled around my body faster than I thought was possible. "What happened?"

"We aren't sure," Madam Pomfrey replied. "We have a small guess, and have asked some previous students to come and give us a hand. They will arrive in a week. Until then, try not to die." She walked over to talk with some other patient. I glanced at Riven.

"When did you get here?"

"As soon as I could," Riven admitted, brushing his black hair out of his face. "Luci told Professor McGonagall, and as soon as she left, she came to tell me." I smiled briefly, before aces of pain rushed through my back. My hand instinctively squeezed Riven's, and deeper concern filled his eyes. "Maybe I should leave…you don't look too good."

"Who are these students Madam Pomfrey called in?" I asked quietly, eyeing the nurse. Riven gave me an incredulous look.

"Why, Harry Potter and his friends, Hermione and Ron Weasley."

HP-HP-HP-HP-HP

 **A/N: Apologies that this chapter is a bit shorter than the first. Hopefully the third will be a little bit longer. Also, I do NOT own Harry Potter, just my wonderful Ocs (hehehehe)**


	3. Chapter 3

I stayed in the hospital for a few more days before Madam Pomfrey told me I was cleared. As soon as I stepped out, however, I ran into Darla and her friends.

"Alessandra Therse!" she cheered. "Remember me? Darla Sugarcumb from the hallway. I'm the one who is supporting the _good_ side." I clenched my teeth.

"Listen, Darla, I already told you that I'm not a Voldemort sympathizer," I groaned, pushing past her. "How many times do I have to say that?" Darla flipped around and cocked out her hip.

"You're just trash, honey, because that's who all Death Eaters are!" she yelled. Just as I started walking down the stairs, somehow I missed a step as someone shoved me from behind. I yelped in surprise as I tumbled down the staircase, slamming into the metal bars and the walls. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of slamming my head into things, I reached the bottom. My eyes watered and I had a soaring headache. Darla and her friend cackled from the top of the staircase. _Stupid jerks,_ I growled, wiping my bloody lip with my hand. I quickly rushed away from the stairs, trying not to fall down due to my dizziness. I managed to reach Professor Snape's class without tumbling. I quickly took my seat as the whole class fell silent and Snape stalked over to me, a glare in his eyes.

"Ms. Therse?" I looked up painfully and looked Snape in the eyes.

"Yes, Professor Snape?" I asked, tears slowly falling from my face. Something switched in his eyes and he raised an eyebrow.

"What is the seventh step in making a Girding potion?" Snape drawled, staring intently at me. My mind raced as I mentally went through the steps.

"Add toasted dragonfly thoraxes until the potion turns silver," I replied after a minute of silence. Snape gave a short, curt nod before stalking back to the front of the classroom. I sighed and sank in my seat.

 _This is going to be a long day._

 **:/:\:**

"She pushed you down a flight of stairs?" gasped Riven in surprise, gently dabbing a wet towel to the giant scratch on my face. "Did you tell anybody?" I shook my head and Riven pulled his hand away. We were at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and we had some time before we were needed back for dinner.

"No one would believe me, plus I think somebody already knows," I told him, lying down on the giant grassy field. Riven laid down next to me and turned himself so he was laying on his side. "When I got into class, Snape had this mysterious look in his eyes. Like…I'm not exactly sure what it was." Riven nodded, making a face. "You have that thinking face on."

"Nothing," he replied, shaking his head. "C'mon, let's get some dinner."

 **:/:\:**

Madam Pomfrey gave me some ice for my head before sending me back to the library, where Riven was helping me study.

"Ok, what was the task called when Harry Potter went out looking for the Horcruxes?" Riven asked, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," I replied, rolling my eyes. "This isn't even on the test, Riven! Give me an actual question."

"Fine!" he huffed, flipping through his book. "Spoilsport."

"You can't complain at me if you get a fantabulous grade on this next test because you studied!" I responded, nudging him with my elbow. He grinned at me and pushed his hair out of his eyes. "Hey...can I ask you a question?"

"Fire away," he replied as he opened _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_. I bit my lip and said, "Gryffindor represents bravery, Slytherin cunningness, Ravenclaw wisdom, and Hufflepuff kindness….how come no one actually follows those ideals?" He paused and glanced up from the book.

"You talking about Darla?" he asked, and I nodded. "I asked Professor Dumbledore about this once. He told me that the Sorting Hat doesn't place you in a house that already has your strong talent. It places you in a house that has a talent that you need to work on. For example, not all Hufflepuffs are nice, not all Gryffindors are brave, not all Ravenclaws are smart, and not all Slytherins are rude. Take me for another example. I'm in Ravenclaw, and I'm definitely not all that intelligent." I snorted and rolled my eyes. "Haha, laugh all you want."

 **:/:\:**

Dinner that night was not good either, just like the rest of my day. I had such a bad headache that I had to go back to the infirmary. Riven was forced to stay at the dinner, so Madam Pomfrey allowed Apollo to accompany me.

 _You are going to have to figure out a way to deal with this Darla chick,_ Apollo told me as he slithered into a ball on my stomach. _Seriously? Pushing someone down the stairs? You should tell Professor McGonagall or Dumbledore...how about Madam Pomfrey?_

 _ **I already told you Apollo...no one would believe me. They would just believe that I'm Tom Riddle reincarnated, just because I'm related to Voldemort.**_ There was a brief knocking on the infirmary, and Madam Pomfrey rushed over to open it. From my bed, I couldn't see or hear any words that were being discussed, but Madam Pomfrey scuttled back to me.

"Alessandra, there is a visitor for you," she told me, and a small smile formed on my lips. _Riven!_ Out from the curtains stepped a man I never expected to come visit me.

"Professor Snape," I said, nodding my head in respect to the teacher. The man nodded back and shooed Pomfrey away from me. "To what do I owe this visit?" Snape walked over stiffly and sat in the chair that lay beside me.

"I know what has been happening to you," Snape flat out stated, his eyes connecting with mine. "Darla Sugarcumb, Year 5 of Hufflepuff, has been bullying you, all because you were born with the Death Mark on your forearm." I stiffened, and turned my head away. "And yet, though she has abused you more than once, you refuse to turn her in. Why is that?"

"Who would believe me?" I replied, staring him straight in the eye. "I'm the odd girl, the Parseltongue in Gryffindor, the one with the Death Mark, the freaking granddaughter of Voldemort! I bet even Dumbledore would laugh at me!"

"Hold your tongue," growled Snape, rising slowly. "Be careful with what you say. Don't let Darla have anything else to snap at you for."

"What do I have that she doesn't that's good?" I asked quietly, mostly to myself as I lowered my head. "She has everything…"

"Not a higher grade in Potions," he replied with a brief smirk that almost looked like a smile.

 **:/:\:**

 _A tall figure loomed over a crib bedside, a yellowed-pale hand hovering over the small child that lay sleeping soundly. There was a tuft of black hair on the little baby's bed, and a long hooked nose was already starting to form. Two other figures entered the room. It was my mom, a petite woman with bright blond hair like myself, and my father, tall with long dark locks._

 _"Thissssss isssss your firssssssst child, yessssss?" the voice asked, a snake-like voice emerging. His body was blocked by a long black cape, but his voice wasn't._

 _"Yes," replied my mother, not at all shocked at this appearance. "We're expecting Alessandra will come in a few years."_

 _The figure nodded and whispered, "He issssssssss very handssssssssome, like hissssss father."_

 _My dad smiled and said, "When do you return?"_

 _"In a matter of minutesssssssssss," the person replied, stalking about to gently pat the boy's head. "The time-turner may have magic of itsssssss own, but it alsssssssso drawsssssss magic from me. I won't be able to ssssssssstay here long."_

 _"It was nice to see you again, Dad," my mother said, nodding to the person. "I know how much it takes for you to come out here."_

Voldemort. That was the figure.

" _Give my regardssssssss to my grandssssssson when he is old enough to undersssssssstand." My mom and dad glanced at each other with hesitant faces. My mother was the brave one to speak._

 _"We aren't sure that we are ever going to tell our children that you are their grandfather," she stuttered. "I know your plans don't work out...I don't want them to feel ashamed."_

 _"It isssssss alright," the man replied, bobbing his head. "Ssssssstep forward." My mom stepped forward and he placed a hand on her stomach. "Alesssssssssandra will know who I am. Let her older brother sssssssssstill be ignorant."_

 **:/:\:**

I gasped in disbelief as I flung myself upright. Apollo shifted in his cage, but still slept. All the other girls in my dorm were still asleep. My breathing was rapid and my eyes widen.

 _I have an older brother…_

 _He must be here…_

 **HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP**

 **A/N: Hey y'all! So, I know I promised it would be more, and it is…(by like 200 words). I'll see about making chapter 4 longer. Anyhoo, I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, Dramione all the way!**


	4. Chapter 4

The next few weeks passed quickly until Halloween was the next event up. Everyone was talking about the big ball that was coming up. Apparently, there was going to be a costume contest. I had already decided that I wasn't going to attend; balls weren't really my style. However, two people were very upset about the fact that I wasn't going.

"Dra, you can't tell me you aren't going!" Riven protested when I told him the news at lunch on a Saturday. "Come on, how could you do this to me?"

 _Alessandra, I want to meet more people!_ Apollo pleaded. _How can I do that if I'm in a cage? Who knows? I could meet a pretty lady snake…_

"I've already made up my mind, and there's nothing you can do to change it," I told them, rolling my eyes. "Seriously, I get bullied enough. I'm not going to let Darla find another thing to tease me about."

"I bet you would look great!" he told me. "How about this? You contemplate my suggestion while you watch Ravenclaw's Quidditch team practice? It's not that long, and the game is actually pretty fun."

"Sure," I sighed, wrapping my steel gray coat tighter around my bones. "I'm freezing anyways, so why not be freezing outside?" Riven laughed and helped me up, leading me to the Quidditch field, which was behind the school. A group of students wearing dark blue uniforms stood out amongst the snow. Riven had donned on his uniform using magic, and his black hair was all disheveled.

"Riven, man, why do you do this to us?" a muscular blond haired boy questioned. "I mean, seriously man, what about the team?"

"I'm two minutes late, get over it Inc," he laughed. "Guys and gals, meet Alessandra Therse. She's gonna watch us today." He paused and glanced around. "Where's Marky?"

"Got into a duel with Betty Sue. Lost majorly. He's hiding out of dignity," a boy commented. He looked like the younger version of Riven. "Told me to tell you he wouldn't be able to come." Riven's face scrunched up out of anger and he took several deep breathes. I coughed and everybody turned to look at me. The younger version of Riven piped up, "Cool snake."

"I know I probably shouldn't say this, but I'd be willing to step in for him," I said shyly. "I admit I don't know much about the game…"

"Nothing to worry about there," Riven said with a grateful smile. "Most of the team is relatively new. I'm the oldest member. You can take the role of Seeker. I'll cover Marky by being the Chaser. Sterling!" The kid who looked like Riven stepped forward out of the crowd. "Can you take charge of Alessandra?"

"You can count on me, Riven!" Sterling answered, stepping forward. Riven grinned and stepped over to talk with the other players. Sterling sauntered over to me and grinned wide. "Hello, Alessandra. I'm Sterling Walmium!"

"You're Riven's younger brother?" I asked in amazement. "I knew I noticed a similarity. Both of you have the same eyes, hair, and smile." Something cracked behind his eyes, but he snorted.

"Yep, that's me. Younger brother to Boy Wonder of Ravenclaw!" he teased gently, but I could tell he was hurting. "I'm a 4th Year. You?"

"Same," I replied, smiling brightly. "So, how exactly do I ride a broom?" Sterling laughed and brought me to a corner of the field, where he taught how me to ride and what a Snitch was. Apollo made sure he was securely on the ground when I first started. Finally, he handed me Marky's broom and I lifted off with a wide smile. Sterling appeared next to me, laughing.

"You're a natural!" he told me. "I bet with some practice you could be better than Riven!"

"I know you hate me, but that's a little extreme," a laughing voice called from behind us. Riven swerved up in front of us and gave me a once-over. "Looking good, Dra! Good job, Sterling. Knew I could count on you." Sterling beamed with pride. "So, have you considered my proposal yet?"

"What's that?" Sterling asked curiously.

I sighed, rolled my eyes, and said, "Riven wants me to go to the Halloween Ball, but I don't want to because I get bullied by…"

"Darla Sugarcumb?" Sterling put in. I paused, glancing at him with wide eyes. "Yeah, I know. She used to bully me until she learned I was Riven's brother. Then she tried to do all these nice things to me so she could get Riven's attention. She is one sick chick."

I laughed, and Riven said, "Well, consider it Dra. Ravenclaw's Quidditch Team is going as the Original Heroes of Hogwarts!"

"Who are you and Sterling going as?" I questioned. "Maybe I'll decide."

"Well, I'm going as Harry Potter," Riven said, blushing.

"Cause he's the heartthrob of the group," teased Sterling, elbowing him. "I'm going as Neville Longbottom and Kiesa, another Chaser, is going as Luna Lovegood."

"I believe Viola and Inc are going as Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley," Riven said, biting his lip. "Marky was supposed to go as Fred while Lang went as George." I laughed and shrugged.

"Doesn't sound like anybody I could be," I told him as we slowly flew back to the ground where Apollo was waiting patiently.

"You…" began Riven, but paused as his cheeks blushed bright red. "You could go as Ginny." I paused and turned away, making sure he couldn't see my face flush. "Think about it?"

"I'll let you know tomorrow night," I told him. "That's a couple of days before the ball." He nodded and I handed the broomstick off to Sterling and picked up Apollo, rushing off before anyone could ask questions.

 **:/:\:**

The next day in Potions class, it seemed to me that Professor Snape would not let up.

"What herb is powerful in its healing qualities and restorative properties?" he demanded, staring me straight in the eyes.

"Dittany," I replied, resisting the urge to pull my hair out. It seemed that no matter what I did, Professor Snape was getting harder and harder to please. He nodded, huffing as he did so, and stalked to the front of the class. "Ms. Therse, please see me after class." I inwardly groaned. After class was done, everyone stalked out and I sat brooding in my seat. I washed out my cauldron, put all the ingredients back, reorganized my school folder; anything that would delay my talk with Snape. Finally the inevitable came.

"You asked to see me, sir?" I asked, walking up to his desk. He nodded and gently rolled up his sleeve, revealing his Death Mark. I did so with mine too.

"Have you felt anything?" he questioned gently, his voice quiet. I glanced at him with wide eyes, then shook my head.

"I've never felt anything," I told him just as Darla Sugercumb ran into the room.

"Professor!" she gasped. "You're needed by the Forbidden Forest. A student ran into the woods and came back injured."

"Who's the student?" I asked, worried as Snape stood and gathered his supplies.

"I don't know," she sneered at me. "It's probably the Walmium boy...that stupid kid always wants his older brother to be behind him." My chest tightened. _Sterling._

"Stop." My voice was quiet, but my temper was rising fast. "You don't know a thing about him. He's trying to live being in the shadows, and he's doing marvelously. So shut up…you don't know a thing about him." Darla smirked and opened her mouth to say something, but Riven burst through the door.

"Dra!" he yelled, his face full of tears. "You have to come quick!"

"Is it Sterling?" I asked worriedly. Riven shook his head.

"It wasn't a student who got hurt," he whispered. "It was Apollo…" My chest squeezed and Riven shook his head sadly. "Dra…" Something seemed odd though. Why was Apollo out there in the first place…the world seemed to spin in front of me.

 **:/:\:**

I blinked my eyes in surprise and found myself on the floor of the Potions classroom with Snape and Darla hovering over me.

"Ms. Therse!" Snape yelled, although it sounded like a whisper behind my massive headache. "Can you hear me?" I groaned and rolled over away from him. "Ms. Sugarcumb, fetch Madam Pomfrey right away!" The girl nodded frantically before rushing off. "Ms. Therse, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear," I lied. My head pounded like a stampede of centaurs. "What happened?"

"You came up to my desk like I asked, but as soon as I went to speak, Ms. Sugarcumb walked in and you fainted. I believe you have a slight, if not major, concussion," he told me just as my vision exploded with color. I screamed in pain as my head pounded. I shook as tears fell from my eyes. Snape's hands lunged out and grabbed my shoulders. "Ms. Therse! Ms. Therse, you have to stop convulsing! Ms. Therse! ALESSANDRA!" As soon as he said my name, I blacked out.

 **:/:\:**

I woke up in the infirmary (again) by myself. No visitors, and what was even stranger, no Madam Pomfrey. _I thought she didn't leave the infirmary unless there's been an accident_.

"Ms. Therse?" a voice called out. I jumped and my skull exploded with pain, causing me to whimper. "Apologies, Ms. Therse, if I accidentally hurt you."

"Where are you?" I whimpered. "Come out where I can see you." There was a rustling and then four people appeared at the end of my bed. I yelped again and cried as it felt like my skull was threatening to cave in. One of the four, a woman, rushed forward and placed her hand on my temple.

"Oh goodness!" she sighed. She cocked out her hip and turned to glare at one of the men, a tall man with shaggy black hair. "Harry James Potter! You nearly killed the girl!"

"Sorry, Ginny," the man answered weakly. Through the pain, the wheels in my head started to turn.

"You're Harry Potter," I whispered, leaning into the woman as she hugged me and started stroking my hair. I glanced at her, even though it hurt. "And you're Ginny Potter." I turned to the remaining man and woman. "That means you two are Hermione and Ron Weasley." They both nodded and Harry started forward.

"And you are Alessandra Therse?" he asked me. I nodded. "We've heard many things about you."

"When a man opens with that line you know it's never good," I muttered to myself. "If you can solve my bullying issue or heal me, do it. If not, then please leave." Ron laughed and Hermione slapped him.

"What?" he asked. "She has spunk. I like that."

"You're being bullied?" Hermione asked cautiously, cocking her head.

"Darla Sugarcumb, 5th year in Hufflepuff," I replied and I swore I heard Ron whisper under his breath, "A Hufflepuff...who would've thought…" I rolled my eyes, which hurt, and continued, "She doesn't like me. End of story. Are you done now?" Harry shook his head.

"We need to talk with you," he explained. "We have heard rumors about you...about your gifts…"

"So what?" I demanded. "I'm a Gryffindor Parseltongue who's been cursed by being the granddaughter to Voldemort."

"How…" Ginny began, but I bit my lip in frustration.

"I don't know why any of you should care," I growled under my breath. "Now, if you will please leave me alone…" I turned and curled up on my bed, ignoring the voices demanding that I wake up.

 **:/:\:**

Later, Madam Pomfrey checked up on me and told me I did indeed have a rather major concussion. I was working on Charms homework when there was a large voice arguing somewhere near the front. I strained to hear what all the commotion was about, and grinned when I heard the Ravenclaw Quidditch team arguing with Madam Pomfrey.

"I don't care if this is a study trip!" she yelled. "You will not be permitted to see her! She is unwell!"

"Madam, please!" begged Inc. "This is for the greater good of her education!"

There was a pause and she said, "Oh alright. But only two at a time. And that... _thing_ counts as a person." There was a bit of shuffling, and Madam Pomfrey sighed in defeat, before walking away. Inc, Viola, Sterling, Riven, Kiesa, Lang, and a person I didn't know, who I assumed was Marky, all came into view. In Riven's arms, and all around his neck and head, was Apollo. "Alessandra!" I grinned and set aside my schoolwork to take Apollo from Riven.

"Are you alright?" Sterling asked cautiously. "We heard about your fall."

"We've been trying to get in here since last night, but Madam Pomfrey said you needed rest," Viola explained. I rolled my eyes. _Like that happened at all,_ I thought. "But we heard a commotion. Were you ok?" I nodded.

"So it took me a while," I began, biting the tip of my tongue. "But if you guys don't mind, I would like to go to the Halloween Ball with you guys...as Ginny." Kiesa grinned and clapped her hands excitedly, while Lang laughed.

"Well," Inc said, raising an eyebrow at me. "Technically, me, Lang, and Marky are your older brothers, so we must act like it." He and the two other boys lunged at me and started tickling me, while Sterling and Riven tried to get them off me, and Kiesa and Viola just sat in the back, shaking their heads. I laughed until my head started ringing, and everyone backed off a little.

They stayed for a long time until Madam Pomfrey announced, "Alessandra, you have another visitor." I glanced around the corner and gulped. It was Headmaster Dumbledore. The Quidditch Team must've sensed something, because they left.

"Hello Ms. Therse," Dumbledore chuckled, nodding to me. "How is the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team?

"Doing fine, Headmaster," I replied, nodding to him. "To what do I owe this visit?" The Headmaster chuckled and took a seat beside me.

"Can't I come and talk to one of my students whenever I please?" he asked. "And hello to you too, Mr. Apollo." I had totally forgotten about my snake. His beady eyes were staring straight at Dumbledore. "If you are trying to read my emotions, I'm afraid you will be sorely disappointed." I gaped.

 _How did this old geezer know about my power?_ Apollo gasped, slithering backwards.

"How did you…" I gasped, and Dumbledore laughed.

"A story for another time, perhaps," he told me. He paused. "Ms. Therse, if you don't mind me getting serious for a moment, how are you liking your stay at Hogwarts? Is everything working out?" I nodded, biting my lip. _Should I…_ "Are you withholding information? I just want your honest opinion."

"The Ravenclaw Quidditch Team has acted like my family since I arrived," I began, twiddling with my fingers. "They are all probably my closest friends...Dumbledore, I don't know if you're aware, but I'm being bullied." Dumbledore nodded.

"Professor Snape informed me of so," Dumbledore told me, and I gasped. _How could he…_ "The professor insisted I do something to prevent your next trip to the infirmary. I told him I would not."

"B-But sir…!"

"Don't interrupt, Ms. Therse. It's impolite. Thank you. Now, as I was saying, I would not interfere because I knew that you would be able to do it yourself." I tilted my head in confusion. "Ms. Therse, I know you are strong enough to stand up to your bully situation, no pun intended. You are a strong-headed girl with fierce determination."

"Darla Sugarcumb doesn't think so," I grumbled. "She insists that I'm a Voldemort sympathizer just because I was born with this stupid mark." I absentmindedly fingered the mark. "Why can't I just to be a normal witch…"

"Normal is overrated," Dumbledore said with a wink. "Stay strong, Ms. Therse."

And with that he got up and left.

* * *

 **A/N: Wowza! One hundred views already! I can't tell you guys how amazed and blessed I am to have people actually reading my books. Please read and review! I'd love to know what's going on in those heads of yours**. **Also, ignore anything that looks like difference between how I divide sections in the chapters. I'm new to so I'm learning how to work out all the systems :)**


	5. Chapter 5

It was the day of the Halloween Ball, and I was lost.

Let me explain.

Since I was going with the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team, the females on the team invited me to their common room so we could all get ready together, except I had a hard enough time trying to find my classes, let alone another common room.

"Lost?" a voice interrupted, and I squealed, jumping. It was a sandy blond haired boy with sparkling blue eyes. He gave me a once-over and chuckled under his breath. "Cause it appears so…"

"Depends on who you are," I retorted, crossing my arms in front of my chest. Apollo slithered across my shoulders and raised his head so it was parallel with my ear. "Well?"

"Temper, temper," he laughed, holding his hands up in defense. "Connor Ashland, Slytherin."

"Then no, I'm not lost," I growled, shoving past him to try a different hallway.

"Ravenclaw's common room is that way," he said, pointing to a stairway I had come down. I was about to growl at him when he said, "Back before my sister graduated Hogwarts, we used to meet up outside her room." He gestured to a large picture frame. "The answer is Wolf." With that, he flipped around and strutted down the hallway. I bit my lip furiously but decided to give it a try.

Much to my disappointment, it worked.

The picture frame swung open, and suddenly Viola and Kiesa were in front of me.

"Finally!" Kiesa squealed. I could see she was already in character for Luna. "'Mione and I were worried you had gotten lost."

"I did until somebody helped me," I explained, stepping inside. "I take it that we are acting in our characters now?" The two girls nodded and sat me down in a plush navy blue chair as they began to enchant my hair, making it a bit longer and changing it to a reddish color. "Where are the boys?"

"Here!" a voice called as the girls began to work on my cosmetics. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the five boys descend the stairs, and nearly laughed. They looked almost exactly like the actual people. The person who looked like Neville continued, saying, "Looking good, _Ginny Weasley_."

"Not too bad yourself, _Neville Longbottom_ ," I giggled just as the girls stepped away. I had to suppress a gasp as another guy stepped in front of me.

He was extremely handsome.

Milk chocolate brown hair that always fell in his face, paper thin wire glasses, and a faint lightning bolt scar decorating his forehead. His eyes were a beautiful green, and I had to pry my face away. "Riven, you look stunning!"

"Without this being weird, I totally agree," Sterling added, leaning against my chair. "I have no idea how he got it all so good, but he did."

"What about me, Inc, Lang, and Marky?" I protested, jumping up to stand beside my "brothers". "Do we look like a regular pair of Weasleys or what?"

"You all look fantastic," cheered Kiesa, clapping her hands together. "I just hope that no one dresses up like we do."

"What in the world is _she_ doing here?" a squealy voice demanded, and I froze. It was Darla. I turned over my shoulder and she stood on the stairs, her hip cocked out and looking annoyed. "Please, honey, you may change your looks but no one else has your Death Mark." I winced and shied away from her. Like true brothers, Marky, Lang, and Inc all stepped in front of me, blocking me from her. "Honestly Riven, when you denied me from being Ginny, I thought you had actually convinced the real one." I bit my lower lip and tried to hold back tears. Apollo hissed dangerously beside me, eyeing Darla with something dark.

"Back off, Sugarcumb!" yelled Inc. "Go find somebody else to pick on."

"Shut it, Weasley," Darla grumbled. "I wasn't talking to you."

"Enough!" yelled Riven, taking long strides so he was in front of the entire Quidditch Team, and me. "Darla, you will NOT be disrespectful to my team, got that? And I don't want any sass towards Dra either."

"B-But…"

"We've got somewhere to be," Riven said bitterly, grabbing my hand through the throng and pulling all of us out of the room. Once out, he pushed us towards the front, and I used the tip of my finger to wipe away any tears that might have shown up. "Are you ok, Dra?"

"I'll be fine," I whispered, sniffling. "She's just a bully." Riven smiled sadly. "Don't get upset. It's not your fault I was born with this." I glanced at the mark on my arm. "I guess even enchantments won't make it go away."

"Is there any sort of reason that would make it appear on your arm in the first place?" Riven asked, and I froze, stopping where I was. The team quickly caught up with us. "Dra, is something wrong?" I took a shaky breath. "It has something to do with that mark, doesn't it?"

"I can't explain it right now," I whispered, my arms wrapping around me. "It's just...too difficult to say…"

"We never asked you too," Riven said, gently placing a hand on my shoulder. "Just...if it's hurting you...don't withhold that. Let it out." I nodded and we all headed towards the Great Hall.

 **:/:\:**

My stomach hurt from laughing so hard as all of us exited the party. Our group had won an award for most life-like, and we had celebrated by partying.

"Breathe Dra," laughed Inc, and we all giggled. By the end of the night, the whole Quidditch team had started calling me by Riven's nickname. "Oh...that was fun!"

"It was," I laughed. Apollo had conked out halfway through due to exhaustion. We had reenacted The Chamber of Secrets, where he acted like the Basilisk. "I should probably head back to my common room. I'll see you guys tomorrow in classes."

"Do you want us to come _escort_ you?" Lang questioned, raising an eyebrow. I shook my head.

"Darla's mean, but she's not stupid," I told them. "I'll be fine. If anything happens, I'll be sure to scream really loud." They nodded with satisfaction and I quickly headed back to my dorm. Once there, I quickly climbed the stairs to my bedroom. Inside, my roommates were fast asleep, but there was a big, shadowy figure standing at the foot of my bed. I withheld a scream, and the person turned. They wore a floor length cape with the hood pulled low.

" _Alessssssssandra Therssssssse_ ," the voice hissed, and I recognized it instantly.

"Grandfather," I whispered, my eyes widening with shock. Voldemort nodded and took a step towards me. Instantly, my wand was out and pointed towards him. "Don't. Come. Closer."

" _My apologiesssssssss, my dear_ ," my grandfather whispered. " _I did not mean to intrude, unlesssssssssss it wassssssss necesssssssary_."

"How are you even alive?" I hissed. "You died in the Battle of Hogwarts!"

" _There wassssssss an eighth Horcrux_ ," Voldemort moaned. " _You_." I gaped and then remembered my dream. " _You sssssssaw the dream…you were touched with my blesssssssing_."

"This isn't a blessing!" I growled, showing the Death Mark to him. "This has been the biggest curse on my life! I've been bullied for years because of this! That's why I transferred to Hogwarts in the first place!"

" _That wasssssss not my fault_ ," he whispered. " _I sssssssshall never be able to return back to my human ssssssstate, but I can come in sssssssssspirit_."

"So I'm an eighth Horcrux, now why are you here?"

" _Ssssssssssomething issssssss trying to kill you_ ," he hissed, shivering slightly. " _I am trying to protect you_."

"Sure you are," I said, rolling my eyes. "If it's true, why should the darkest wizard of all time want to help me?"

" _It issssssss not in my dessssssssire to ssssssssee you or your brother get hurt_ ," Voldemort hissed, edging a bit closer to me. I slowly lowered my arm.

"So he is here at Hogwarts?"

" _Yesssssssss_ ," he murmured. " _Keep your guard up, my dear granddaughter. I sssssssssshall come back to you sssssssssssoon_." He shook violently and I gasped when he completely disappeared. I shook myself and headed to my bed when I noticed something.

My mark.

It had begun to disappear.

 **:/:\:**

"Dra, you doing ok?" Marky asked, shaking me briefly. I blinked and remembered I was eating lunch with the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team outside by the field. "You seem out of it."

"Didn't get to sleep easily last night," I lied. Well, it was a partial lie. It was true that I had had a hard time trying to get to sleep, but that was after my grandfather had decided to show up. "Sorry if I'm not paying much attention." I munched on the biscuits in my hand, not paying much attention to it.

"Anyways," Riven said, rolling his eyes. "Who's ready for the Potions test today?"

"We have a Potions test today?" I groaned, rubbing my eyes. "I totally forgot! I haven't studied at all." My brain ached to think about anything other than sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

"Here are your tests," Snape said, handing out multiple sheets of paper to each student. "I have high expectations for all of you." I resisted an eye roll and bit my lip as the sheet was handed to me. I grabbed a quill and quickly began to scribble down answers. When it came to ones I wasn't sure, I did my best. A few minutes later, he snapped and everyone paused their writing.

"Time's up," he sneered, and everyone, besides me and a few others, reluctantly put their quills down. He went around and collected all the papers, before taking a glance at the top one. His jaws went slack.

"Ms. Therse," Snape said slowly, looking up. "See me after class." I mentally groaned and nodded respectfully. The class sped by and eventually, I slowly walked up to the front. Everyone in the class had gone, so it was just Snape and I. Snape barely glanced at me as he scribbled something on a sheet of paper. Once he was done, he handed it to me.

"What is this, sir?" I asked, glancing down at it. "A reference?"

"Take that to Dumbledore during dinner," Snape ordered. "I'm bumping you up from 4th Year Potions to _7th Year_ Potions." My jaw dropped.

 _Did he just say…_

"You not only aced the test that was given to you, but you also found new unique methods of creating a solution."

"T-Thank you, sir," I stuttered, staring down at the paper. I felt a smile form on my lips. "I won't make you regret it."

"See to it that I don't," Snape ordered, and I nodded my head frantically. "McGonagall will also receive a letter too." I nodded my thanks once again before rushing out of the room with glee. I bumped into somebody and almost sent us both tumbling to the floor, had he not caught himself.

"So we meet again, Little Lion," chuckled a voice and I turned to the person. It was that weirdo, Connor Ashland of Slytherin. "Why are you so happy?"

"Snape put me in 7th Year Potions class!" I said ecstatically. "Not even your sour mood can bring me down!" Connor chuckled again.

"Glad to know that the Little Lion has a one-track mind," he said. "Enjoy yourself." He waved a hand lazily as he headed where I had come from.

Before I could stop myself, I yelled, "Wait!" Connor froze and glanced behind his shoulder. "My name is Alessandra."

"I'll be seeing you around, Alessandra," Connor said, a sly smile forming on his face before he disappeared.

 _Riven...The Quidditch Team...man, I've got to tell them!_ I raced off, praying I could find them before my class with Hagrid.

 **:/:\:**

I was jittery all through Magical Creatures Care. We had learned about an Obscurus, which was definitely fascinating but I didn't pay much attention. As soon as class ended, I raced back to the castle, only to bump into Darla and her posse.

"Hello _Dra_ ," Darla growled, stalking down the steps. "What brings you around these parts?"

"Only my friends call me Dra," I spat back. "Last time I checked we aren't exactly close."

"Well, that hasn't been my fault," Darla pouted. "I've been trying my best to reach out to you, and you just turn me away."

"You insist I'm a Voldemort sympathizer, you ridicule me at every chance you get, you _hurt_ me so badly that I don't have the chance to hurt you back," I yelled. "Not exactly friendship right there. Now leave me alone. I have more important things to do." I shoved past her and heard her gasp in shock. I felt a small smile of victory pass my lips. I headed to the Quidditch field when I spotted Sterling kneeling by someone. The rest of the team was there too, all with worried expressions on their faces.

"Everything ok?" I asked, cocking my head slightly. Lang, Marky, and Inc all came over to me and blocked my view. "Anybody want to explain?"

"Trust us, Dra," whispered Inc. "You don't want to see this. Madam Pomfrey is on her way. She says he'll be fine."

"Who will be fine?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Who got hurt?" Lang put an arm around my waist to steady me.

"Riven," he whispered, and I felt my knees buckle. Marky ran to the other side and helped catch me.

"We were doing normal practice," Inc explained, still blocking my view. "Everything seemed fine until Riven dove for the Snitch. His broom malfunctioned or something. It refused to go up. He crashed into the ground…"

"Please," I muttered. Inc nodded weakly and stepped aside. Riven was lying unconscious against the wall. His hair was covered with dirt, and his face was dotted with bruises. His arm was twisted in an awkward position. "Oh my gosh...Riven…" The boys helped me forward and I knelt beside him. "Will he be ok…?"

"He just has a broken arm," Sterling said, hastily wiping away his tears. "There's Madam Pomfrey right now." I backed away and let the nurse grab him with magic.

"Ms. Therse, would you please accompany me?" Madam asked me. My jaw kind of dropped...again. "I need a pair of steady hands and a person who is smart with potions."

"Potions?" asked Viola incredulously.

"Didn't Ms. Therse tell you?" Madam Pomfrey asked, surprised. "Professor Snape has advanced her up in Potions to 7th Year." I hung my head and followed the Madam all the way to the infirmary. "Ms. Therse, please find and give me the Skele-Grow." I nodded and rushed to a cabinet, pulling out a jar of sticky medicine. "Thank you, dearie."

"Riven will be alright, yes?" I asked, gulping. Madam Pomfrey nodded, a small smile forming on her lips.

"The star of the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team and you will be alright," Madam said, smirking a bit. "And don't try and deny it."

"B-But…" I stammered, and Madam raised her eyebrow. "Fine...I kind of... _really_ care about him. He never judges me, he's always kind and sweet, Apollo tolerates him, which is a miracle in itself I might add…"

"So I take it he doesn't know about your grandfather," she said, rubbing the sticky stuff across his arm. "Grab a Bruise-Away Potion from the cabinet and dab it on his face." I nodded to both requests.

"No student knows about my past," I told her, grabbing a clean towel and wetting it with the potion. As I dabbed his face, he moaned. My eyes widened as Riven slowly began to blink his eyes.

"Wheres am Iz?" he moaned, blinking his eyes. "Amd why iz Draw here?"

"Relax, Riven," I whispered, and he calmed down a bit. "You took a tumble on your broomstick. Madam Pomfrey said you'll be fine."

"Ok," he mumbled. "But my name isn't Riven."

 _What?_

"It's Chester," he grinned, yawning.

"Dearie, don't listen to a word he says," Madam ordered me. "The potion and the Skele-Grow are making him delusional."

"What's my name, Riven?" I asked, trying to resist smiling.

"Professor Alessandra Therse!" he exclaimed with a bit of a slur. "Academic extraordinaire of Hogwarts Wizarding School. Master of Food-Eating and getting hurt!" I laughed and rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, he's out of it," I giggled. I dabbed his forehead some more. "Get some rest, Riven."

 **:/:\:**

Riven was more into reality the next few days, and Madam Pomfrey allowed me to skip classes in order to "apprentice" under her. One day, I was brewing a potion to help Riven heal faster when I heard a slight coughing noise. I stopped, puzzled. _That's not Riven, cause he's asleep and Madam Pomfrey left to go grab something from St. Mungo's_. I glanced uneasily down the hallway and saw a staggering figure coming towards me. As soon as they stepped into the light, I gawked.

"Connor?" I hissed, trying to keep my voice low. Connor gave a weak smile before collapsing. I squeaked in alarm, grabbed my wand, and pointed it at him. "Wingardium Leviosa." His body rose up and I angled him over the bed beside Riven's. "Are you alright?"

"No," he whispered, panting. "It's my chest…" I reached over and unbuttoned his damp feely white shirt. I gently whispered a spell for light and gagged. "Connor!" He had a giant gash down the center of his chest. "What the heck happened?"

"Would you believe me if I said I was hunting for a Bulgarian Hunchback?" he said weakly, giving me a small smile. My mouth opened in pure rage but no sound came out. "Now, don't be worried. It was just a baby."

"I need to call Madam Pomfrey," I gushed, rushing about. "I don't know how to handle a wound this big!"

"Try," pleaded Connor, his eyelids fluttering. "I don't know how much longer I can stay awake." I nodded and took a deep breath. I brought out my wand and began to recite a few spells. Almost instantly, my Death Mark began to glow, and Connor's chest healed up perfectly. My own chest began to ache, and I took a few steps back.

A wave of pain swarmed me and I screamed, collapsing to my knees. Connor leapt to his feet and Riven snorted awake.

"Dra?" he asked, smacking his lips. His eyes widen when he saw me on my knees, screaming. "Dra!" He leapt to his feet and scrambled towards me, Connor beside him. "What's happening?" I didn't hear more before I blacked out.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello readers! One, I do NOT own Harry Potter. I would change quite a few things if I did. Two, please review with any questions, queries, conspiracy theories you may have regarding my story :)**


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